A white supremacist just arrested on federal firearms charges in the state of Washington had ties to a university student leader of a new chapter of Youth for Western Civilization (YWC). Jeremiah Daniel “JD” Hop, previously convicted of child rape in California, is accused in a federal indictment of being a felon illegally possessing a shotgun. Arrested by FBI agents on Wednesday, Hop also likely faces state charges for possessing stolen property taken in burglaries near his home in Pullman and the campus of Washington State University, authorities say.

The 29-year-old suspect is linked to recent Aryan and extremist picketing outside Mexican taco stands near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, authorities say. Using the name “WhitePhoenix,” Hop has boasted of that involvement on the racist Stormfront Web site, The Spokesman-Review reported Thursday. On his Facebook page, Hop’s list of “inspirational people” included the late William Pierce, who founded the National Alliance and author of The Turner Diaries. The fictional account of a race war has been the blueprint for action for some extremists, including neo-Nazi members of The Order in the 1980s and Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh in 1995.

In a 2006 “guestbook” posting for imprisoned Order member David Lane, Hop, using a “fourteenwordlivin” e-mail address, said he was inspired by Lane’s racist writings. “It would be nice if you were not in prison,” Hop said to Lane, who died in prison in 2007.
“They failed and you are still getting your message across,” Hop told Lane. “You have the power and determination. I’m 24 and have so much ahead. I wish I could talk to someone who could lead me on the right path to do the best for our race. My love and respect.”

Although he isn’t currently a student at WSU in Pullman, Hop’s Facebook friends included Phil Tignino, the student leader of the Youth for Western Civilization chapter, an officially recognized student organization on the WSU campus. The group’s anti-immigration, anti-multiculturalism message targets young adults and seems to flirt with the extremist, hate-filled fringe.

Youth for Western Civilization’s web site says the organization, formed in 2008 with an application for non-profit status, will hold its first national conference June 17-19 in Washington, D.C. New chapters of Youth for Western Civilization are popping up on university campuses across the United States – from Washington State University in eastern Washington to the University of Rhode Island. Other YWC chapters reportedly exist at Vanderbilt University, American University, Providence College, the University of North Carolina and the University of Connecticut and Boise State University.

Tignino, also involved with the “College Republicans” on the WSU campus, removed his Facebook “friendship” link with Hop on Thursday after Tignino was questioned about his association with the suspect by WSU student journalist Andrea Castillo. The goal of the student chapter “is to revive Western civilization and make it the dominant culture in the United States,” Tignino told Castillo, who wrote about the YWC chapter for the university’s Murrow News Service.

“I don’t think the U.S. should be known as the country that is home to every culture, language and belief system in the world,” Tignino said in a news story written by Castillo. When asked about Hop, Tignino attempted to distance himself from the self-proclaimed white supremacist and former employer. “I just did drywall for him,” said Tignino, a 22-year-old political science major from Los Angeles. “I haven’t even talked to him (Hop) in a few months,’’ Tignino told Murrow News Service. “If those allegations are true it’s unfortunate that he did it, and should be tried to the full extent of the law. It’s unfortunate that such a situation had to happen.”

Tignino said his group, which includes two members from the University of Idaho in nearby Moscow, Idaho, works frequently with the WSU chapters of the College Republicans and Young Americans for Liberty.

“However, YWC is an organization in favor of discussing the social issues, like radical multiculturalism or political correctness, that other conservatives are too afraid to talk about,’’ Tignino was quoted as saying in Murrow News article. The same article quoted Derek Spady, president of the College Republicans and YWC member at WSU, as saying Youth for Western Civilization “will soon be an international group because conservative groups in Europe and Canada have started to jump on board with the national chapter.”

Spady, a 21-year-old political science major, said he will likely lead the WSU chapter of YWC as coordinator next year. “The barrier between liberals and conservatives has always been there, and it’s never going to go away,’’ Castillo wrote in her article about the group.

Kevin DeAnna, the founder of Youth for Western Civilization, says the upcoming national conference will be YWC’s “real birth as a national organization with a support structure to build and maintain chapters at campuses all around the country.” Featured speakers and the exact location of the conference aren’t given on the group’s web site.

“All the work that we’ve been doing over the last couple years will come together at this conference,’’ DeAnna says on the Web site. The national conference, he said, will “allow like-minded people to learn political technology … and put together our plan for next year.” Last October, DeAnna spoke at a workshop sponsored by the white nationalist Social Contract Press.

Schools have the right to pick and choose speakers. There is no First Ammendment violation if they change their decision. They pay, they decide who is speaking.

That said, there is a responsibility to make sure the speaker has something of value to say. That does not include lies and distortions. The best idea in a case where there is controversy is to have opposite sides speak, or better yet, debate. Also, I think that speeches should be submitted in advance for fact checking. It is not education to allow lecturers to give out false information. They should be allowed to express their point of view, but be required to back it up with verifiable information, not think tank politics. They should have to show their sources.

The same really should apply to the news. I am so tired of reading quotes from organizations I never heard of, and which go largely unquestioned. Any quote should be vetted before publication, and if it is determined to be hogwash, the paper should say so.

punkmar77

@ Deep Ecology

I find your characterization and stereotyping of anarchists to be completely offensive, how many anarchists do you know personally? Again I am reminded of the average non-critical thinking American that gets their world view from the nightly viewing of the idiot box. How exactly is throwing a brick through a corporate plate glass window the same as advocating the death or expulsion of all non-whites? How exactly is it the same as the deaths of Brisenia and Raul Flores? And these death threats of innocent conservatives, are those something you can show and prove, or just more of your internet psycho-babble? Pathetic…..

Nicole L Czubin

I am currently a student at WSU and am a native of Seattle, WA. It is troubling and also a bit scary reading about JD, who is was my “maintenance man” here at my Pullman residence. Just to shed a little bit of light on the current situation here in Pullman, minority students are being targeted in a way that’s almost indescribable. YWC and College Republicans recently erected a fence in the middle of our campus to fight illegal immigration, but the even turned out to be filled with racist undertones. The retention rate of African Americans continues to remain at 8 % and we feel that our voices aren’t being heard.
As far as JD, he also has a current outstanding warrant in California and was arrested Last week by North Idaho officials, our (including my roommates) locks had to be changed because he was suppose to come fix somethings the day he was originally arrested and was suppose to have our keys, which were never recovered. There have also been many noose hangings and harassment of young black males. WE NEED HELP! This is a growing issue and concern.

Jonas Rand

Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) is not a hate group – it is a street gang that is involved in the drug trade. They do what they do solely for monetary gain, not with any racist agenda. This means they are outside the focus/purview of this blog.

As for the New Black Panthers, they are listed as a hate group by SPLC, but no new news stories have come out worthy of mention.

Ruslan Amirkhanov

Go ahead and tell us Todd; you think they are being too hard on Neo-Nazis?

Ruslan Amirkhanov

“Any stories on the new black panthers?
MS 13″

MS 13 is a drug gang. And as for the New Black Panthers, you tell us? ARE there any stories in the news lately about the New Black Panthers? Where were you a few weeks ago when they had another story about the Nation of Islam?

krissy

That guy really picketed a taco truck? These nativists don’t seem to recognize that the west was part of Mexico.

Todd

Another white supremacist story.
Any stories on the new black panthers?
MS 13?

http://www.yahoo.com jerilyn kay miller

These are some really sad and lonely people. If it was not so dangerous for the country and the world , I would laugh my self silly at their stupidty. jeri

Ruslan Amirkhanov

“Agreed, Far or extreme right organizations have lots of lurkers that are basement dwellers in mom and dads house, criminals and survivalist vanguard types. In other words, neo-crazies”

I wouldn’t dismiss right-wingers as “crazies”. Many of the ideas that lead them down that path are quite mainstream, sometimes so much so that liberals believe them as well.

I’m willing to bet that if I asked a mixed group of people to picture a welfare mom, and answer honestly, many people would have to admit that the first thing that popped into mind was an urban, black woman. This despite the fact that far more whites receive some form of welfare than blacks.

If people can hold such assumptions, then this in addition to other environmental factors can lead them to believe that paleo-conservatism or ideologies even further to the right are “just common sense.”

If we ignore that in favor of dismissing these groups as crazy, we cannot even begin to figure out where these ideas are coming from, and why they persist so.

Deep Ecology

After reviewing my rambling response on this article, realize two things: Don’t write after a long day and focus on the topic at hand. When writing less is usually more. I would have given these responses a C- at best:)

Agreed, Far or extreme right organizations have lots of lurkers that are basement dwellers in mom and dads house, criminals and survivalist vanguard types. In other words, neo-crazies.

Personal discussions with students who are YWC supporters puts them firmly in the traditional or paleoconservative side of the conservative movement, and in opposition to the neo-conservative side of the Republican Party. None would seem the type to countenance or tolerate the troubled, criminal individual named in the article.

Links imply what? One time internet hit on an organizations blog site? Mowed my lawn once? Headlines such as the one above imply a possible sinister connection that impugns the integrity of the organization its linked with.

Our family once had a landscaper caught stealing fighting roosters on the weekend. I can see it now, cock fighter and notorious criminal convicted of staging animal combat has ties to local academic! More at 11:00 as our crack investigative team delves into the dark side of semester finals and cock fighting!

Jonas Rand

Dr. “Deep Ecology”,

You didn’t actually answer the question (“In what cases that you’re familiar with have anarchists attempted to stifle debate?”). Racism aside (that comment wouldn’t have really sounded right if “Palestinian” had been replaced with, say, “Black”), none of the groups you named were anarchists. Also, if protesters who happen to be students smash windows, and it’s not on campus, it has nothing to do with restricting academic debate. In the past, there have been frequent occurrences of police agents provocateurs intentionally breaking laws at protests involving anarchists, to discredit and smear them, making them look violent and unruly (it is also a pretext for state repression). What incidents of campus violence, or other disruptions that are not peaceful, by anarchists have happened that stifle debate?

Ruslan Amirkhanov

“I would love to know in what way even a single one of them have contributed anything to this civilization they’re so concerned about.”

Oh but it’s simple: Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, Newton, etc. were “white”, they are “white”, ergo they can take credit for everything those guys did. They have their accomplishments in their blood, even if they haven’t personally accomplished anything of merit yet. I’m sure they would, if it weren’t for the Muslims, minorities, feminists, libruls, Jooz, and all those other groups holding them back.

Ian

“[[...]white the rest of us peons can argue all day long[...]”

A Freudian typo on the part of Concerned Citizen?

Matthew Bright

All these racists declaring themselves to be the “bearers of Western Civilization.” I would love to know in what way even a single one of them have contributed anything to this civilization they’re so concerned about.

When these people describe themselves in the plural as “we” with regard to Western Civilization, what comes to mind for me is that perhaps they have a tapeworm.

Concerned Citizen

it’s funny and sad that the intellectuals and the moneybags tries to rule this country,white the rest of us peons can argue all day long, but the truth is, as long as the powers to bes has the clout and control, it will always be the same old song. The poor people are the real losers in the whole process.

Shadow Wolf

Mr. “Deep”,

What exactly is your position on this matter involving a white supremacist affiliated with an extremist student group? It’s not clear what your complaints are. You are opposed to all sorts of organized groups both political and relgiously. While complaining that “Free Speech” is threatened by irresponsilble “actions” of others.
Isn’t that’s what “Free Speech” is all about? The right to protest others that you do not agree with? By human nature, it’s a natural instinct to act upon something that you do not agree with. Every group–political and religious has a violent side to it. Especially the youth and student groups.

So what exactly is your point?

Jordan

“Speech is free when one can engage across the political, social, religious, and philosophical spectrum of ideas without fear of intimidation, harm, or loss of the ability to support oneself.” So to summarize, free speech does mean freedom from criticism, in your opinion. “Both extremes represent a threat to the free exchange of ideas and any ideological persuasion that passively tolerates their views and actions are guilty.” And you just broke your own rule. No, freedom of speech doesn’t protect you from people getting angry at you, you cannot walk down the street shouting “Sieg Heil” and than go to a job interview the next day and claim you were discriminated against when your not hired (and if you were hired and people boycotted a business that hires neo-Nazis, you could not claim they were discriminating against the business). Free speech does only protect people from government censorship, it does not take away responsibility for what people say, it does not offer an indestructible shield against all criticism (if it did, debating would be impossible, since any attempted rebuttal would.be an infringement of free speech). Ohh…I read your second comment, now I see. Your of the same philosophical beliefs as Michael Schwartz (author of “The Chief Purpose of Universities: Academic Discourse and the Diversity of Ideas”). Well, then I’ve found the one gaping flaw in your logic and his and it can be summarized in one phrase: The Holocaust started as words.
Jonas,
“1 a: exertion of physical force so as to injure or abuse (as in warfare effecting illegal entry into a house) b: an instance of violent treatment or procedure

2: injury by or as if by distortion, infringement, or profanation : outrage

3 a: intense, turbulent, or furious and often destructive action or force b: vehement feeling or expression : fervor; also: an instance of such action or feeling c: a clashing or jarring quality : discordance

4: undue alteration (as of wording or sense in editing a text) ”
“If (for example) a window was smashed in, that is not “violence” because no one was injured.” No, the breaking of a window would still be violence (and vandalism), as it fits perfectly within definition 3a. Also, if violence required injury, attempted homicide wouldn’t be violence so long as the target escapes unscathed. And as for anarchist violence, the sovereign citizens use right-wing ideology, but are in essence anarchist (as they believe the best government is no government), not sure if they count though.

Deep Ecology

For Jonas,

The most violent and threatening violence I have seen on campus have been focused on three types of speakers.

Israel and Zionism: Palestinian and Muslim protestors using three tactics: 1. Shout and rush the stage 2. Physically attempt to block access to the forum 3. Threats to the person speaking of bodily harm. Full Disclosure: Am not a Zionist or supporter of Israel.

Cultural Preservationists or Immigration Restrictionists: Same as above plus anonymous posting of “death threats” via the universities email system. Full disclosure: Not a nativist but have an academic interest in cultural responses to immigration from vastly different cultures and racial/ethnic groups and how societies either integrate the new arrivals or fragment.

Geneticists/Anthropoligists studying and researching innate human differentiation along racial/ethnic lines: Full disclosure: My field frequently delves into Human and Social Anthropology but I have an interest in the exploding area of genetics and behavior/performance. This field is so controversial that a guest speaker (will not disclose his name) cancelled his lecture series on Genetics/IQ/Wealth of Nations due to a series of death threats both to him and the University staff should he be allowed to speak. University security would not guarantee his safety.

Reasonable discourse NEVER involves violence or the threat of violence to those we disagree with. Debate, ask questions, publish rebuttals, but smashing windows and destroying property, death threats, physical intimidation is not the exercise of free speech and the exchange of ideas.

Jonas Rand

Dr. “Deep Ecology”,

In what cases that you’re familiar with have anarchists attempted to stifle debate? What “violence” have you seen from anarchist students? If (for example) a window was smashed in, that is not “violence” because no one was injured.

Protests do not stifle debate. It is a student’s right to protest a speaker at a university or to disagree with them during their lectures.

Deep Ecology

For Ruslan,

I have read and enjoyed many of your posts in the pasts, you have an excellent command of the language, are obviously well read and traveled, and intelligently can defend your ideological positions. I am going to gently chastise you however, for being so combative you assume anyone who doesn’t agree with you must be an ideological opponent.

So full disclosure, I am an academic and writer who teaches human geography, with a focus on human migration and human-environment adaptation, and environmental studies. As my signature would indicate, my passion is the Deep Ecology movement. Very involved in the free speech movement on campus a

As for political affiliation, do not and never have voted. I am not an advocate for or against any US political party. Any ideological stance I claim is focused environmental advocacy and we work with members of both parties to advance our agenda.

Free speech on our campuses is threatened by the extremists and highly polarized fringe groups on both sides of the political spectrum. As an academic I have watched anarchists and far left students engage in outright violence and threats of violence against those they oppose who are invited guest speakers on our campus, and seen the far right neo-crazies do the same. This threatens the free and open exchange of ideas that are at the very heart of what it means to be an academic and intellectual in this country, and represents a clear and present threat to the idea of free speech everywhere.

As to religious affiliation, am not a practicing Muslim Jew, or Christian, nor an advocate of their social or religious positions.

Academically, and when commenting or writing on international relations, nation-state issues or the challenges of globalization and the modern corporate-state, require my students to read the late Samuel Huntington’s books on the origins/causes of modern conflicts and the clash of civilizations.

Economically, I am opposed to capitalism and communism, as they are systems that essentially provide different structures to answer material, utilitarian needs. In Deep Ecology, we advocate for an economic system that is more decentralized, local, and distributists called the “Steady State” economy. It rejects as unsustainable a limitless growth theory whereas as individual or collective wealth can grow indefinitely within a finite natural resource base, rejects a purely utilitarian view of nature, and anthropocentric worldviews that nature is to exploited by and for human purposes.

My passinate defense of free speech on campus is in no way an indorsement of any ideological position other than the one I claim. I do however passionately defend those student advocacy groups, of any political or social persuasion, that advance their agenda through speech, writing, debate and discussion. I just as passionately reject those who use violence, threats or intimidation to stifle debate. How you could possibly interpret that defense and stance as somehow defending an obvious fringe crazy is simply beyond comprehension. And, while I like the YWC’s academic free speech position as compatible with mine, my personal exposure to the students who are members or supporters of it leads me to believe they advocate what would be defined as a “traditional” or “paleoconservative” ideological orientation, along the lines of Pat Buchanon’s writing and advocacy. Again, full disclosure, am not either a traditional or paleoconservative, but some of my students certainly are.

We are in agreement that free speech, while protected by law, in no way insures that someone won’t get angry with what you have to say. What threatens free speech on campuses however, is not attitude but actions. We have had speakers on campus, especially within the areas of political or scientific areas, cancelled because of the threats and outright physical intimidation by small groups of highly vocal fringe groups willing to use whatever means necessary to deny a forum for those ideas. Our campus security could not guarantee their safety and said so. Free and open exchange of ideas? Only if your willing to bet your life on it, and wisely, but to our loss, most won’t.

Ruslan Amirkhanov

Even if YfWC(what the hell is Western civilization anyway?) doesn’t have a strong connection to such an individual, it is a fact of life that right-wing groups are often rife with perverts, criminals, and mentally disturbed individuals.

B.B.

When asked about Hop, Tignino attempted to distance himself from the self-proclaimed white supremacist and former employer. “I just did drywall for him,” said Tignino, a 22-year-old political science major from Los Angeles. “I haven’t even talked to him (Hop) in a few months,’’ Tignino told Murrow News Service. “If those allegations are true it’s unfortunate that he did it, and should be tried to the full extent of the law. It’s unfortunate that such a situation had to happen.”

Burying the lead, are we? You are trying to imply ideological affinity and moral failure on the part of YfWC by associating with this shady character, but ultimately this link is dubious at best.

Ruslan Amirkhanov

That’s a right fine speech Deep, but this doesn’t change the fact that he was arrested for illegal weapons possession, and it doesn’t speak well for your movement to have yet ANOTHER convicted child rapist in its ranks. How many sex offenders ARE there in the movement anyway? Strange condition for the vanguard of an allegedly highly advanced race.

And a word about free speech- Free speech is a right granted and protected by the Constitution. It does not guarantee freedom from criticism, it does not guarantee people won’t get angry with you, it also does not guarantee that your claims will be accepted as true of valid despite a total lack of evidence.

DrMJG

There is a strong difference between censoring free speech and simply putting the hateful message under a bright light. SPLC does the light shining!

skinnyminny

I hope people take notice – the two main people in this story/report is from Califas! I also hope people take notice that some of the funding is coming from some of the rich people from Califas – i.e. Orange County!

Deep Ecology

As an academic and front row participant in the free speech advocacy movement on our nations campuses, it both amuses and pains me to see how extremists on both sides, left and right, seek to stifle the free exchange of ideas in our institutions of higher learning. Free speech isn’t just what is “popular”, “trendy”, “universally accepted” or “understood by everyone” to be correct. True state censorship of free speech is not our concern, it does not exist. Speech is free when one can engage across the political, social, religious, and philosophical spectrum of ideas without fear of intimidation, harm, or loss of the ability to support oneself. The left has its black clad anarchists throwing bricks and sending email death threats to conservative speakers on campus, the right, its cross burning, neo-nazi crazies. Both extremes represent a threat to the free exchange of ideas and any ideological persuasion that passively tolerates their views and actions are guilty. Any advocacy group will have its disturbed, anti-social lurkers on the fringe, and a firm line must be drawn to insure they are given no support or passive tolerance. My personal exposure to the YWC and its student advocates puts them firmly in the camp of traditional or paleoconservatives, who would have no truck with gun toting, white national extremists, any more than most SPLC supporters would be out there with the more extreme dial a crowd, brick tossing anarchists.